The healers were speechless when they saw Raden awaken. They, for the life of them, couldn't figure out how he managed to fight off every single sleeping potion. It was a bit of madness as he woke. One ran after Lorcán while the others tried keeping Raden in bed until things were figured out.

Lorcán wasted no time in rushing down to see him. When he entered the room, Raden was sitting on the edge of the bed swatting healers away.

Raden turned to see who the new visitor was and frowned slightly. "Really, sleep potions."

"You were very injured and quite distressed when Deimos told you the news of Azrael." Lorcán defended. He walked over to excuse the healers from the room and waited for them to leave before he continued. "How exactly did you fight off the potions?"

"A very close friend of Azrael's came to me in a dream." Raden moved his wings and there was no pain. He raised his eyes brows in surprise.

"Who exactly was this friend?"

Lorcán's voice snapped Raden back to the conversation. "A very powerful friend. That's all I will say on the matter." He watched the doubt in Lorcán's eyes grow, but he knew that this information would never be shared. "I need my weapons and clothes." Raden stood and stretched. Still no pain. Lorcán sat astonished at the looks of Raden. He shouldn't be able to sit up let only stand on his own right now.

"I think it's best that you stay here and we can send out a..."

"No." A shadow fell over Raden's face. "It'll be a slaughter. I'm going alone and that's final."

There was a pause and Raden held his ground. Lorcán shook his head in defeat and stood. "There's no fighting you on this is there?" Raden shook his head. "Alright. I'll send for supplies, but there's something you need to know before leaving. Merikh has pulled all death angels from the frontlines and is searching for Azrael."

Raden blankly stared through Lorcán. Serkan wanted the weapon for domination. He could deal with that, but Merikh... Merikh only wanted the weapon; wanted Azrael for something far worse.

He let out a pent-up breath hiding any worry he had. "Then I guess I'll just have to find her first." Raden masked his fear well. He had learned from a very young age that was how you survived in a world of constant war.

"I'll see that what you need is brought here..."

"No, I'll take care of it," Raden interrupted and he pushed past Lorcán. He headed for new clothes that would be acceptable for travel and battle than to the armory. As he was headed that way, Deimos stopped him. "Listen I don't have time for this. I'm leaving and that's final."

Deimos shook his head. "I wasn't going to stop you. Here." He held out his own two celestial blades. "If you're going to fight infernal hoards, then I think you'll need something more than mortal-crafted blades."

Raden looked down at the two blades. Blessed metal from the Ancient Goddess Life and hilts of gold inscribed with the cree of the Arc Angels. He took the two swords and looked at Deimos. "I won't forget this."

"Go."

He soon had what he needed and off he went. Raden just flew without another word said. He soared above the clouds where the sun was warm against his skin. For a brief second, everything washed away and there was peace.

As Raden flew through the clouds, the wind picked up, and with it came whispers of an old forgotten language. Raden focused on them and soon found that the wind was carrying him. The minute he tried pulling away from the strong wind something would grab him and force him back on the path. He soon realized that he was no longer in control of where he was going and at that moment Raden gave up his control of the situation. Something he had never done before and let the wind guide him where he needed to be.

~~~*~~~

Night had fallen when Raden found himself in the town of Eriset. It was an old goblin town from centuries before. Now all that was left were the ruins of buildings that once stood. The whispers led Raden through the ghost town in the dark of night. He kept his guard up and only hoped this wasn't a trap. Through the city, he went and no sign of any life until he heard the unquestionable growls of infernal. Carefully he poked his head from behind a crumbling building to see two infernal pulling at the chain leashes two guards were holding.

Raden pulled back behind the building and unsheathed the two swords. Silently he shot into the darkness and like lighting, he struck. With a flick of his wrist, the first guard fell as blood poured from the slit in his throat. The other didn't have time to react as Raden drove a sword through his chest. The two infernal snorted in anger and leaped for him, but Raden shot into the sky. He landed a few feet away with ease and shot himself across the space between them in seconds. He drop-kicked one with so much force that its skull made a sickening crack before it fell dead. The other turned to leap but Raden sliced through like butter and its head rolled to the ground.

"Alright, take me to Azrael," Raden said lowly. The whispers led him through the door of the house they guarded. A staircase spiraled down into the depth of the earth. He raced down the stairs following the whispers as fast as he could.

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A maze lay out in front of him as he managed to find the bottom of the staircase. As he followed the whispers, the halls twisted and turned into unmemorizable patterns with doors appearing ever so often. The strange thing was that there were no guards or infernal down here. Raden however only had one thought on his mind. Deeper and deeper he went into this maze until the whispers stopped in front of a locked door. Raden placed his hand on the lock and a brilliant light hit the lock melting it away. He opened the door carefully and peered into the semi-dark room. A figure moved from the other side of the room, and Raden stalked through the entrance. As he managed closer he finally got his first glimpse of her.

Raden's eyes went wide. "Azrael."

Azrael snapped her attention to the tall angel who stood in the middle of the room. "Raden?"

A relief rushed through Raden and he raced to the door. Another lock. Raden placed his hand on the lock but this time nothing happened. Again he tried. He tried slashing at the lock but nothing seemed to work.

"You need to get out of here Raden," Azrael said. Her voice was laced with worry. Her eyes kept shifting to the entrance and then back to Raden. "He's cast spell on this room and powers don't work. Get out of here before..."

"Before what?" A voice said behind them.

Raden turned and saw Serkan standing there.

"Before I find him trying to break you out? Or before he took out my guards?" Serkan's signature smirk was nowhere to be seen. All that he held was anger and hatred. "It's funny though that you thought you could sneak in and easily grab her and go. The minute you placed a foot down in that town; you set off alarm bells."

Raden readied the two swords. "I'll slit your throat before you can drag her out of that cell to do your dirty work."

Serkan only chuckled darkly. "Then make your move death angel."

In one swift movement, Raden was slashing a sword through the air missing Serkan by a centimeter. He turned quickly facing Serkan. Again he went in for the attack but Serkan had the advantage of magic and vanished.

"You see death angel. You're too stubborn to see that you can't win." The voice lingered through the air. "This is my domain and what I say goes, and I think you need to be brought down a peg."

Raden felt a foot hit between his wings. He stumbled forward but didn't fall. Serkan stood on the far side of the room looking bored.

"This is fun but I have things to do and places to be." Serkan snapped his fingers and two guards appeared. Raden lunged forward without hesitation, but these guards were much stronger than those outside.

They easily overtook Raden and without his abilities, he was stuck and pinned to the floor. He struggled but to no avail. Serkan peered over him a clicked his tongue in disapproval. "I told you that if you came after me again there would be consequences." He snapped his fingers again and the guards lifted Raden to his feet. He fought against their grasp on him only to double over as Serkan sent a fist into his stomach. "Shackle him up."

"You bastard!" Azrael spat. "You'll burn in hell for this."

Serkan turned to look at her and smirked before shaking his head. "Don't you understand? I've already won." He walked over to Azrael. "After all is said and done, this world is going to be ruled by my master and you..." He lifted her chin. "You'll be my beautiful bride."

Azrael spat in his face. "I'll kill myself."

His smirk turned into a frown as he wiped away the spit. He left without another word but his anger left Azrael shaking.

~~~*~~~

Raden was shackled to chains that hung in the middle of a pitch-black room. His feet barely touched the floor causing the cuffs to cut into his wrist from the weight forced on them. He wiggled and twisted but there was no way out of these and his powers were still dimmed.

Footsteps grew louder and louder until the door lock clicked and light poured in. Raden could make out the silhouette of the figure who walked in but then he disappeared as the door closed.

"I have to say, death angel. Your persistence is admirable but in this case quite annoying for me." It was Serkan. Raden listened closely trying to figure out his next move. "You've been a formidable enemy angel, but now that much come to end."

Before Raden could try and act, a burning sensation hit his sides causing him to yell out. Serkan only laughed and dug his nails deeper. He removed his hands and Raden went limp against the chains as he tried catching his breath. Each inhales is more painful than the next.

"Just kill me and get it over with," Raden panted.

Serkan chuckled, "That wouldn't be near as entertaining would it."

Raden's entire body erupted in pain as Serkan cast another spell on him. This time he could feel his skin burning and melting away. He yells and groans bouncing off the walls of this small room and echoing in his head. Each yells seemingly taunting him. Serkan released him from the spell after a minute or two, but to Raden, it felt like hours.

The constant torture of burning spells went on for the next few hours weakening Raden with each cast. His healing powers dimmed to near extinction.

The cuffs vanished and Raden fell to the cold floor barely moving. He closed his eyes as if it made a difference just so he could focus on breathing. Each rasp for air becomes harder to maintain.

Serkan opened the door and through blurry vision, Raden made out two figures walking in. One carrying a torch and the other something else. Serkan was handed the object and he turned back to Raden. "I've heard this archangel's swords were blessed by Life. Which if you think about that it's quite ironic." Raden saw the smirk form on Serkan's face. He knelt down roughly taking Raden's beaten face in his hand. "But I think the greatest thing out of everything here is that you will be destroyed by the very thing you are created from."

He dropped Raden's head and moved to his back. Raden felt someone pick up a wing and spread it out. He felt the cold blade cut into his back and he screamed. Serkan sliced through the bone and muscle and ligaments like they were butter. Raden protested but they fell to the floor to be silenced. His other wing was spread out and the sword pressed against his back. The second wing was tossed to the side for Raden to see in the light of the torch. A gut-wrenching scream left his lips as the pain was unbearable. This was no physical pain. This was the pain of heartbreaking guilt overflowing into this room.

"Show me your halo, death angel." Serkan pulled Raden's head up from his hair. He had no other choice no energy left to fight.

A halo of brilliant white light appeared. Serkan dropped the sword and grabbed the halo with both hands. The halo snapped in half ripping what life Raden had. Serkan only laughed as he tossed the broken halo to the floor. "A legend among worlds... dying a mortal's death."

Tears fell from Raden's eyes as he was left to die alone.